Potter & the magic money-making machine

As Deatheaters swoop through the heart of London,leaving awestruck onlookers completely captivated...

As Deatheaters swoop through the heart of London,leaving awestruck onlookers completely captivated,so too the public is left in the wake of this seemingly unstoppable phenomenon that is Harry Potter. After seven books,six films and the omnipresent merchandise,the money-making power of the spectacled wizard from Hogwarts is becoming the stuff of legends. But the latest cinematic installment has received less than lukewarm critiques. As Harry gets ready for his greatest challenge yet,is Warner Bros facing an equally great feat to convince disenchanted viewers to see Harry and the gang on the silver screen once more? Or have we all already fallen under the Potter brands magical spell?

After just over a week,the numbers are rolling in and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince seems poised to be this summers blockbuster. It grossed Rs 2 crore across India during the first five days alone. Most of the loyal Harry Potter fans already know the plot,but come to watch the movie to see how JK Rowlings writing has been transformed on the silver screen, explains Tushar Dhingra,COO of BIG Cinemas,the films distributor. Actress Vidya Malvade,who attended the Harry Potter Premiere at the IMAX in Wadala,was one of the first to see this sixth adaptation. Even though she fell asleep,a common occurrence when movies start so late (and in no way a critique),the Chak De star thinks that its the kind of film that appeals to everyone. I really like the books and I would definitely go and see all the films, she adds definitively.

Even non-Potter fans are going. Director Mahesh Dattani has not read one word from the book series and has no particular affinity for Rowlings magical otherworld. His disappointment was not only limited to the fact that the 3D effects only lasted for the first 15 minutes,but continued throughout the film. It has a rather tedious plot and the teenage romance isnt convincing. As a whole,it just doesnt work, he says.

The film just didnt do justice to the climax, explains Monica Khatri,22,whose last five years have been tied up with Harrys. She appreciates the effort to stay true to the books,which are for her,the real Harry Potter. Ill have to go and watch the next film too,hopefully on the first day, she admits.

It seems clear that the hardcore fans become addicted to the books and the films will never fully measure up. For Anuja Chauhan,executive creative director at JWT Advertising,says that film-goers get what they deserve a second-hand,chopped,hacked and mutilated version of JK Rowlings vision. She maintains that the films are nonetheless a full-on money-making machine. As the Potter Brands estimated worth hits the $15 billion mark,it is well-oiled and in full throttle.

It may just be that Harry,like so many others who have grown up under the gaze of the public eye,has become cursed by his own success. As any good Quidditch player knows,you cant win em all.

Cosmo Landesman of The Sunday Times sums up his frustration when he writes: Thats it. After enduring this very long and very tedious sixth film in the Potter franchise,Ive had it with Harry. But he,like many others,will undoubtedly see the next chapter and then the next (as the last book,a whopping 700 pages,will be divided into two) as they unfold in all of their cinematographic glory.

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